Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies
| 12 November 1998 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 2
  • 1
  • Reviews
    CheerupSilver

    Very Cool!!!

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    VividSimon

    Simply Perfect

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    MamaGravity

    good back-story, and good acting

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    Brenda

    The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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    Moviefan54

    I love this show. I had heard of it before when Shobna Gulati went to "Coronation Street" to play Sunita. Her biography said that she had previously appeared in the highly-rated "dinnerladies". "dinnerladies" began broadcasting on Vision TV in Canada in June, and I was pleased to see Thelma Barlow, whom I had known as Mavis Wilton in "Coronation Street", as part of the cast also.I have seen Julie Walters in many different roles, but Victoria Wood is totally new to me. She is wonderful as an actress, comedian, and writer. I want to find more of her work now.The characters were well established from the beginning and develop in realistic, yet humorous, ways in each episode. This is very gentle humour with great respect for each of the characters, despite their individual foibles. Victoria Wood is terrific in the straight-man role. She is the calm centre of the canteen while all the crises of the other characters revolve around her.It is too bad to learn that there were only 16 episodes. However, perhaps it ended before it had become repetitive or ridiculous.This is the type of humour that the British do best. I cannot imagine an American network being able to duplicate the low-key tone, which is key to this show's appeal.If you haven't seen it yet, look out for "dinnerladies".

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    simon3818

    Must be honest here, when it first came on TV I thought it was for the older generations. Then I watched just one episode (not sure which) and loved it.The show only has 16 episodes (like many classics) but each one of them is so well scripted, cast and fresh it makes it a pleasure for continual viewing. Victoria Wood has excelled herself with this sitcom and with the final episode closing the canteen it has limited it to the 16 episodes for pure class.This is a must for anyone who likes light hearted sitcom that doesn't have swearing, no filth (apart from innuendos here and there) and who needs to be cheered up.

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    beresfordjd

    Victoria herself said that Dinnerladies looked old fashioned against the Royle Family but I believe that its format is its strength. I remember watching the first series and thinking this is not as good as I expected from Victoria Wood but you have to watch it again because now I think both the series are genius. Fantastic scripts (apparently there is not an ad-lib, everything is tightly scripted) written brilliantly. It rewards repeated watching and just gets funnier every time you see it. The performances are fantastic from all the cast-special mentions for Andrew Dunn, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Shobna Gulati, Anne Reid and the fantastic Thelma Barlow. Maxine Peake (brilliant actress) was so lucky to get the part of Twinkle as her first acting job. Even the small appearances are wonderfully observed and performed.I find it incredible that Miss Wood can write, compose, act and play at such an incredibly high standard. Whether other countries could really relate to the humour is a mystery to me but comedy relies on timing and I find myself laughing at US references in Frasier even though I may not know the situation they are referring to. I think thats down to timing. Maybe Dinnerladies will work that way too, 'cos the timing is spot on.If you have watched and not liked it,try it again-you may be very pleasantly surprised. I am watching again for what must be the twentieth time, both my wife and I still laugh out loud at lines we know backwards. That is the combination of writing, performance and timing.I guess it is peculiarly English and will not travel well, but that does not make it any less brilliant. Oct 2012 - I have just watched episode 1 of series 1 , having caught it on Gold. It was the one with which I was originally disappointed . I cannot for the life of me see why now. It just hit the ground running and was a hoot from the beginning. The characters were fully formed and incredibly acted down to the smallest part, for example - the stripper delivers her couple of lines with consummate skill. If I have one criticism it would be Julie Walters' part - the viewer is left to decide whether she is totally barmy or not and she seems a little young to be Victoria Woods' mom. It is a piece of work which can be watched again and again and still find funny stuff and lines which you missed the last time round.

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    kenpitcher

    I have watched on DVD hundreds of times All the episodes of Dinner Ladies. Those who did not like or maybe not quite understood some of the humour, check it out again, there are a great many hidden gems as to the brilliant mind of Victoria woods writing. "He played my body like a pinball machine. I lit up, paid out, and no tilting" was the brilliant line of Bren (victoria wood) mother (Julie Walters) describing her relationship with her young man. It was everyday folk, talking about everyday issues. Hidden behind the charm and the humour the show showed its emotional side, with Bren giving up her holiday to help her mother financially, single mothers, and redundancy. The show lasted two series. I look with great hesitation Victoria Woods next project.

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